Campus Connection

UWL Theatre Department announces 2017-2018 lineup

The UW-La Crosse Department of Theatre Arts proudly presents its 2017-2018 season. Opening the season will be Obie Award winner for Best New American Play, “Appropriate,” by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Every estranged member of the Lafayette family has descended upon the crumbling Arkansas homestead to settle the accounts of their recently deceased father’s estate. As his three adult children sort through a lifetime of hoarded mementos and junk, they collide over clutter, debt and a contentious family history. But after a disturbing discovery surfaces among their father’s possessions, the reunion takes a turn for the explosive, unleashing a series of crackling surprises and confrontations. (Oct. 13-15 and 19-22) Next up is the holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol,” by Charles Dickens. Presenting the Guthrie Theatre’s version adapted by Barbara Field, UWL Theatre carries on this holiday tradition. On Christmas Eve, Ebenezer Scrooge learns his stinginess and uncaring attitude could doom him to walk the Earth after death wearing a heavy chain of his own creation. But a restless night of visits from three ghosts show Scrooge memories he has forgotten and his likely future should he continue his cantankerous ways. (Dec. 1-3 and 7-10) Join us for the musical adventure of a father’s story and a son’s journey. “Big Fish” tells the larger-than-life tale of Edward Bloom, a man who leads an extraordinary life — according to the stories he tells his son, Will. But Will, who is getting married and expecting a child of his own, doesn’t think there’s any truth to the extravagant tales his father tells about meeting witches, kissing mermaids or joining the circus. He doesn’t even believe the story of how his father proposed to his mother, Sandra, in a field of daffodils. When Edward’s health begins to decline, Will visits his father and tries one last time to find out the truth behind the tall tales. As Edward and Will’s relationship becomes increasingly strained, Will must decide whether to accept his father’s wild stories as fact or risk losing him completely. (Feb. 23-25 and March 1-4, 2018) The season closes out with the provocative play, “The Arsonists,” by Max Frisch. Fires are becoming something of a problem, popping up all over town, but Mr. Biedermann has it all under control. A respected member of the community, he tries to live a life of blameless middle-class decency. It is this sense of bourgeois propriety that renders Biedermann defenseless when two strangers finesse their way into his home and settle in. But when they start filling his attic with petrol drums, will he help them light the fuse? Inspired by the Communist takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1948, this absurdist allegory satirizes the way in which people can be manipulated into accommodating their own destruction. (April 20-22 and 26-29, 2018) The UWL Theatre Department will also present two Frederick Theatre productions including Lee Blessing’s bittersweet comedy, “Eleemosynary,” and the children’s classic tale, “Charlotte’s Web.” “Eleemosynary” probes the delicate relationship of three women: the grandmother, Dorothea, who is a strong-willed, independent eccentric; her brilliant daughter, Artie, who has fled the stifling domination of her mother; and Artie's intelligent daughter, Echo, who Artie abandoned to be raised by Dorothea. As the play begins, Dorothea has suffered a stroke. While Echo has reestablished contact with her mother, it is only through extended telephone conversations where real issues are skirted and their talk is mostly about the precocious Echo’s single-minded domination of a national spelling contest. After Dorothea’s death, both Artie and Echo come to accept their mutual need to try to build a life together — despite the risks and terrors that this holds for both of them after so many years of alienation and estrangement. (Nov. 2-4) The UWL annual children’s production is Joseph Robinette’s “Charlotte’s Web.” All the enchanting characters from the book are here: Wilbur, the irresistible young pig; Templeton, the gluttonous rat; the Zuckerman family; the Arables; and most of all, the extraordinary spider, Charlotte, who proves to be “a true friend and a good writer.” Determined to save Wilbur, Charlotte begins her campaign with the “miracle” of her web where she writes, “Some pig.” It’s the beginning of a victorious campaign that ends with the now-safe Wilbur doing what is most important to Charlotte. This is a beautiful, knowing play about friendship. (April 7, 2018) (Please note: Eleemosynary and Charlotte’s Web are not part of the season subscription package.) Early bird season tickets are on sale now through July 17. Early bird season subscriptions are $65 for general public, $55 for senior citizens and non-UWL students/high school students, and $16 for UWL students. They can be purchased by calling the UWL Department of Theatre Arts at 608.785.6701.